DMK announces panel to hold LS polls seat-sharing talks with allies

Chennai: The ruling DMK on Friday announced a committee headed by senior leader T R Baalu to hold seat-sharing talks with alliance parties, including the Congress, for the Lok Sabha polls to be held in April-May.

The DMK, a key constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, also announced two other committees, one for preparing the election manifesto and another for coordinating the party’s poll-related work.

Party General Secretary Duraimurugan announced that the committee led by party Treasurer Baalu will have KN Nehru (principal party secretary), I Periyasamy (deputy general secretary), K Ponmudi (deputy general secretary), A Raja (MP and party’s deputy general secretary) and MRK Panneerselvam (member of the party’s high-level panel) as its members.

Nehru, Periyasamy and Panneerselvam are also ministers and Ponmudi is a former minister.

The party’s committee to prepare the Lok Sabha election manifesto will be led by Lok Sabha member and party Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi.

Ten members, including Ministers PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, TRB Rajaa, and Chennai Mayor R Priya, will be part of the committee tasked with preparing the poll manifesto.

The DMK’s 5-member committee to coordinate the party’s poll-related work comprises of K N Nehru, senior leader R S Bharati, Ministers E V Velu, Thangam Thennarasu, and Udhayanidhi Stalin.

The DMK’s allies include the Congress, the Left parties, MDMK, and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.